Scarlet Sunrise: Reviewing stats from Buckeyes spring game — who stepped up?

Good morning, Ohio State fans, and welcome to the Scarlet Sunrise. Football will always be our focus, but every day we’ll cover news, notes and analysis from across Buckeyes sports. Join us each morning to get caught up on everything you missed in the world of Buckeyes football, recruiting, basketball and more in Scarlet Sunrise.

Reviewing stats from Buckeyes spring game — who stepped up?

Ohio State head coach Ryan Day has discussed how individual growth is key in the spring season. Some of that growth showed up during Saturday’s spring game.

For others, though, the exhibition came with struggles.

Although it’s just one of 15 spring practices, the spring game has a different aura because of the fanfare and the 80,000-plus fans in attendance.

While the score doesn’t matter — the offense held on to beat the defense, 34-33 — the stats can provide a bit of insight.

So let’s get into those numbers.

NOTABLE OFFENSIVE PERFORMERS

+ RB Sam Williams-Dixon (11 rush, 75 yards, 1 TD; 1 catch, 7 yards): Williams-Dixon looked fluid with the ball in his hands. He averaged 6.8 yards per carry on a team-high 11 totes. His 22-yard touchdown scamper was the longest run of the day.

+ QB Devin Brown (5-of-7, 66 yards, 1 TD; 3 rush, 24 yards): Brown was the only Ohio State quarterback who threw a touchdown in the exhibition. He didn’t take a sack, nor did he throw an interception. Brown has demonstrated improvement this spring, and he got a chance to show that Saturday.

+ QB Will Howard (9-of-13, 77 yards): Howard completed eight of his first nine passes and had the Buckeyes on the doorstep of a touchdown, but three straight incompletions in the red zone foiled those plans. Still, Howard looked composed in the pocket, and he, like Brown, appeared to have a good command of the offense.

+ WR Emeka Egbuka (4 receptions, 47 yards; 1 rush, 4 yards): Egbuka turned heads with a one-handed grab in the first half, and he finished tied for the team lead with four catches. He also recorded a carry, a hint at how he’ll be involved in the Ohio State backfield this season.

NOTABLE DEFENSIVE PERFORMERS

+ LB C.J. Hicks (8 total tackles, 5 solos, 1 QB hit): For the second year in a row, Hicks starred in the spring game. Last year, it wasn’t an indication of how much he’d play in the regular season. This year, however, Hicks is on track to make a difference defensively. He logged a team-high eight total tackles, including a team-best five solos, and some of the hits he delivered had pop to them.

+ S Brenten “Inky” Jones (7 total tackles, 4 solos, 1 TFL, 1 INT): Jones made an impression on Student Appreciation Day. He made more plays in the spring game, once again capitalizing on a thinner safety room that was missing Malik Hartford and Lathan Ransom Saturday. Jones secured a toe-tapping interception of Lincoln Kienholz and rounded out the day second on the tackle leaderboard.

+ DE Eddrick Houston (6 total tackles, 3 solos, 1 sack): The first-year defensive end flashed why he was the On3 Industry Ranking’s No. 6 EDGE in the 2024 class. Houston notched an early sack of classmate Julian Sayin, and his six total tackles were tied for third most on the team.

+ Players who tallied a sack: Houston, Mitchell Melton, Jack Sawyer, Hero Kanu, Jason Moore and Caden Curry.

+ Players who picked off a pass: Jones, Calvin Simpson-Hunt, Jaylen McClain and Dianté Griffin.

Reliving top moments from Ohio State spring game

The spring game ended with third-year walk-on cornerback Dianté Griffin taking a goal line interception back to the house. While his chaotic, 100-yard return didn’t technically count, it made for a fun moment at the end of a fun day.

Lettermen Row unpacked the rest of the top moments from the exhibition, too.

There were a bunch to choose from during an afternoon in which Ohio State combined for four interceptions and six sacks but also 600 total yards of offense.

Check it out here.

‘This is different than the indoor’: Buckeyes enter QB evaluation mode after spring game

Day isn’t ready to make a decision on his quarterback situation. Offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Chip Kelly will now be evaluating all 15 spring practices and all five scholarship signal callers.

“The players know it, too,” Kelly said. “We’re not making a decision walking off the field and saying, ‘Hey, this is the direction that we’re going in.’ We’ll be very authentic and look through everything and get a really good feel for what it looks like and then who will best move this offense.

“That’s what our decision’s going to be based off of.”

For the full story, go here.

Counting Down

Buckeyes vs. Akron: 140 days
Buckeyes vs. Michigan: 231 days

Are you a Lettermen Row member yet?

Are you ready to get all your latest Ohio State news in one place? Become a member of Lettermen Row today. With your Lettermen Row/On3+ membership, you’ll not only have access to everything that’s happening with the Buckeyes, but you’ll also be able to peruse other fan sites within the network to hear just how rivals are feeling about Ohio State, as well. Make sure to follow along on X, Instagram and on Youtube for all the latest Buckeyes news you need to know.